³ So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?”

And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war.”

⁴ Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, ^(A)“Please inquire for the word of the Lord today.”

⁵ Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

So they said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of ^(B)Him?”^[a]

⁷ So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.”

And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”

⁸ Then the king of Israel called one of his officers and said, “Bring Micaiah the son of Imla quickly!”

⁹ The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. ¹⁰ Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made ^(C)horns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’ ”

¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

¹² Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”

¹³ And Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, ^(D)whatever my God says, that I will speak.”

¹⁴ Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

And he said, “Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!”

¹⁵ So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁶ Then he said, “I saw all Israel ^(E)scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no ^(F)shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”

⁸ Jesus Christ is ^(A)the same yesterday, today, and forever. ⁹ Do not be carried ^[a]about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. ¹² Therefore Jesus also, that He might ^[b]sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. ¹³ Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing ^(B)His reproach. ¹⁴ For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. ^15 (C)Therefore by Him let us continually offer ^(D)the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(E)the fruit of our lips, ^[c]giving thanks to His name. ^16 (F)But do not forget to do good and to share, for ^(G)with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

^17 (H)Obey those who ^[d]rule over you, and be submissive, for ^(I)they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Prayer Requested

^18 (J)Pray for us; for we are confident that we have ^(K)a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. ¹⁹ But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell

²⁰ Now may ^(L)the God of peace ^(M)who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, ^(N)that great Shepherd of the sheep, ^(O)through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹ make you ^[e]complete in every good work to do His will, ^(P)working in ^[f]you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

²⁴ Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in ^[a]doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. ^(A)The works that I do in My Father’s name, they ^(B)bear witness of Me. ²⁶ But ^(C)you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, ^[b]as I said to you. ^27 (D)My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ^29 (E)My Father, ^(F)who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ^30 (G)I and My Father are one.”

Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus

³¹ Then ^(H)the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. ³² Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

³³ The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for ^(I)blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, ^(J)make Yourself God.”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ^(K)‘I said, “You are gods” ’? ³⁵ If He called them gods, ^(L)to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture ^(M)cannot be broken), ³⁶ do you say of Him ^(N)whom the Father sanctified and ^(O)sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ ^(P)because I said, ‘I am ^(Q)the Son of God’? ^37 (R)If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; ³⁸ but if I do, though you do not believe Me, ^(S)believe the works, that you may know and ^[c]believe ^(T)that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” ^39 (U)Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.